New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson explores Joan Didion’s complex relationship with Hollywood, from her early fascination with Western myths to her time as a screenwriter at the twilight of the studio era. In We Tell Ourselves Stories, Wilkinson examines how Didion’s writing dissected the fears, fantasies, and fabrications that define American storytelling—on and off the screen.

This conversation will be moderated by writer and literary critic Joanna Scutts.

About the speakers:

Alissa Wilkinson is a film critic at the New York Times and was formerly a senior correspondent and critic at Vox. Her previous book, Salty: Lessons on Eating, Drinking, and Living from Revolutionary Women, was published in 2022. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Joanna Scutts is a writer and literary critic based in Paris. She is a regular contributor to the New York Times Book Review and her work has appeared in the Guardian, New Republic, Times Literary Supplement and New Yorker. Her books focus on overlooked women’s histories of the early 20th century and include Firebrands: 25 Women Writers to Enrich Your Reading Life, and Hotbed: Bohemian New York and the Secret Club that Sparked Modern Feminism. Her new project explores the history of American women in Paris.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.